A TESTIMONY FROM PERU
Pastor Jorge and his wife Maria didn’t waver when a local terrorist group firebombed their church. They simply moved church services to their home. The terrorists responded by kidnapping the men in the church and holding them for two days of hard labor in a jungle camp. Still, Jorge, Maria, and others continued to pray and study Scripture.
Then the unthinkable happened. One day as they were praying, their home was attacked. The terrorists had apparently decided upon a new tactic: instead of physically harming Jorge or Maria, they hurt them far worse by killing their two children right in front of them. Only then did the couple decide they’d had enough. They gave up the ministry and moved to another city. Jorge says, “I started to renounce God and became hard of heart. I didn’t want to know God anymore because I believed He had killed my children. My children were consecrated to God; they didn’t deserve this. It was very difficult to overcome this trauma and I became a prisoner of resentment and hatred toward God. Many people came to talk to me, but I never wanted to open up my heart to Him again.”
Incredibly, things got even worse for Jorge and Maria when their new home was destroyed by fire. However, as only God can do, this tragedy turned to good when a local church took up a collection for the couple’s needs. Among the donated items was a Proclaimer in Quechua, which the church members played.
When they got to Matthew chapter 5, Jorge and Maria were transformed. Jorge explains: “When I was listening to the Beatitudes, God touched my heart. At that moment I felt like I was being rescued from the devil – who had made me a slave to feelings of hatred toward God. I asked God for forgiveness, and for the first time, thanked Him for the death of my children, because I knew they were in His glory.” Jorge and Maria now have a restored relationship with the Lord and host cell groups where they listen to God’s Word on the Proclaimer.
Pray for God’s protection, comfort, and peace to surround Jorge and Maria as they continue in their ministry.
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